11. ~Vorzyr~
~Vorzyr~
Kai had been right on the money.
I rolled my eyes to myself. Of course he had. Arrogant shit.
Although, to be honest, it was proving useful right about now. And, as much as it irritated me to admit it, given that he had enough of an ego trip going on as it was, I doubted this would be the only time that his experience and knowledge base would prove vital.
Well, at least I was only thinking it and not airing it outwardly to him. The last thing somebody like him needed was further stroking of that mammoth ego.
Stroking of other things, however… now that was a very different matter.
I rolled my shoulders and shook off that unsettling thought, not wanting to recall the enticing sensation that he’d sparked in me that day when we’d reached an agreement in my dorm room.
I needed to focus on the other enchanting being in my sights.
Quite literally right now.
She’d come to the turrets just like Kai had predicted.
As soon as night had fallen like desired camouflage for her.
I smiled to myself as I watched her step out there from one of the roof access doors and pull up short at what she found there—what I’d prepared in advance.
I’d essentially transformed the eerie place of emptiness and solitude into a much more intimate and warm environment, something a whole lot more inviting.
For one, I had a dozen enchanted dragonlorn candles that I’d brought with me in one of my trunks casting a soft red hue over the area, as well as a comforting heat.
Then I’d set food out for dinner on a luxurious picnic blanket made of the finest silks from the Dracoryn Realm that was a deep black with rich red embroidered edges.
The food aspect was what I was most proud of, because I’d indulged in a little research to determine her favorite things to eat. Surprisingly, given the repressed and withdrawn nature of hers that she projected to everybody else, she was actually a big fan of spicy foods.
So I’d had Spicy Seared Steak with Charred Peppers prepared for her that were sliced into tender, bite-sized pieces, and paired with jalapeno butter.
Pepper Honey Glazed Chicken Skewers accompanied that main course, garnished with fresh lime zest. And then there was also the Grilled Flatbread with Spicy Red Pepper Hummus for dipping.
The best part, as far as I was concerned, were the waffles with bacon, drizzled with maple syrup—her comfort food, as I’d found out.
I’d also prepared a special drink from the Beverage Station in the Cafeteria. It was a deep crimson elixir in a crystal goblet rimmed with black sugar, and it tasted of spiced cherry and dark berries.
I watched her pick up the special flower that I’d rested beside the main course plate.
It was a rarity that I’d acquired from a special region on this plane in Meforian Forest during the time I’d had since leaving home before starting at the Academy to explore.
It was a Celestial Eclipse Peony with deep shades of burgundy and plum and possessing layered petals that gave it a gothic, romantic feel.
The petals had an almost ethereal glow and as I watched her touch it, it reacted to the connection to her, deepening in color and then shimmering with silver—the mark of her magic.
It was said to represent the balance between the dark and the light, control and chaos—something that referenced the differences in our approaches to our abilities.
But the way that it responded to her touch did what I’d hoped, something I’d be sure to point out to her—it demonstrated that her power wasn’t just uncontrollable chaos, and that it, instead, had the potential to be something rare in a good sense.
I leapt from my position atop one of the age-old oak trees where I’d been observing her, and I called my magical flame—not my dragon fire, as I didn’t wish to incinerate the grounds beneath.
Unlike the white-hot nature of my dragon fire that appeared a mixture of deep-orange and vibrant-yellow, my magical flame was a rich crimson.
I created a glowing, levitating path beneath my feet, walking along the vibrant-red magic from the top of the tree to the roof where she was positioned and looking around in pleasant surprise and trying to locate the one responsible for arranging such a thing.
Such a heartfelt thing, I was hoping she was interpreting it as.
Of course, it could be taken the other way—as something invasive and creepy, intruding in her private space and using what she liked against her.
Especially with Kai’s recent actions, I knew there was a chance it could be viewed like that.
But that was on the empty side. I had to believe she would see beyond that.
She spun right toward me as I touched down on the turret, then waved away my magical flame path and stepped down onto the roof right between her and the picnic setup.
“Vorzyr,” she uttered, trying to make sense of my sudden appearance, especially in relation to what had been prepared before her.
“I did ask you out to dinner. But I figured this would be the better option, given that you’re uncomfortable being out around others in close quarters.”
Kai had told me that when we’d discussed me approaching her, but I’d also seen it for myself in the fact that she only dipped into the Cafeteria after the busy breakfast, lunch, and dinner rushes were done with, and she only stayed briefly to grab her meals, then take them back to her dorm room.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the food. “This is all… perfect.”
“I might have charmed the Cafeteria staff into giving me some insight into your eating habits, food preferences, and all that.”
“Charmed them?” she queried, the corner of her mouth turning up. “I can see that.”
“Well, thank you, gorgeous.”
“There it is right there,” she pointed out.
I winced. “Too strong?”
“Not at all. It’s refreshingly different to what I’m used to.”
“That’s heartbreaking, especially seeing as though I’m just skirting the edges of charm.”
She lifted a shoulder, a melancholy air taking hold of her. “It is what it is, right?”
“I disagree.”
“You do?”
“Of course. It doesn’t need to be that way, nor should you allow it to be.”
She looked away, rather than speaking to it.
That melancholy air didn’t dissipate either. It seemed that my comments had triggered it, that the subject matter was hanging heavy for her right now.
“Are you all right? You weren’t in classes today.
” Yet again, she hadn’t been. Kai had obviously told me where she actually was, but I didn’t want to lead with that, because it would make it clear that the two of us had discussed her—and behind her back at that.
Also, she hadn’t exactly seemed on good terms with him during their last encounter.
She’d teleported away from the both of us, for fuck’s sakes, and my understanding was that she rarely employed her abilities for something so futile, so normally she would have walked away, but she’d been so upset by what had transpired that she’d blinked away with her magic instead.
Although, that upset really didn’t seem directed at me and despite the negativity and sadness surrounding her right now, she was still looking on with an awed expression at the dinner picnic that I’d prepared.
“I was meant to spend time with my grandfather, but that didn’t pan out.”
“Why not?” I asked, settling onto the edge of the black stone wall as she fiddled with the plates to get a closer look at everything. It seemed like a bit of a nervous reaction, actually. Toward the gesture itself, or to me? It was impossible to tell at this juncture.
“He was engaged elsewhere. I did get to see my Pops, although it wasn’t exactly under the best circumstances.”
“Is something wrong? Did something happen?”
She looked away from the picnic and out at me, curiosity clashing with suspicion. “Just stuff pertaining to my… nature. Reaching magical maturity is complicated for somebody like me.” She sighed heavily. “More complicated than I even realized.”
“Can I help?”
She shook her head. “No one can.” That suspicion that had sparked a moment ago increased and she asked me, “And why would you want to?”
“Charm?” I jested in a bid to alleviate the tension.
“Was it Kai?”
“Kai?”
“Who told you I’d be up here? Who asked you to put all this together? Asked you to pull information from me with a nicer approach than he’s used to employing, a change of pace for him, basically?”
“The picnic was all my idea.”
“And the rest?”
“It was him who told me you’d be here, yes.
I was going to consult your schedule, but we haven’t exchanged that information, given that we’re very new friends.
But he informed me that you’d be cutting the first day of classes anyway.
And, no, he didn’t ask me to pull intel from you.
The only information I’m interested in from you is getting to know you. ”
“Why would he tell you that at all? The last interaction between you was hostile, to say the least.”
“Because I didn’t like how he was treating you. But I also didn’t understand the complications involved with it all, nor the history between the two of you.”
“The history between us is just that. History. ”
“If you say so.”
She stared at me. “Be careful. Befriending somebody like Kai is a complicated matter. He’s incredibly controlling.”
“I’m aware.”
“You might think you are, but with the way he is, there are times when you may not even realize he’s exerting control. At least, not until it’s too late.”
“Is that how you feel, that he’s doing that to you?”
“Kai is only getting from me what I want to give. Nothing more. He’s not in as much control as he thinks where I’m concerned. Although, our last interaction, I had to make that clear to him, so I’m sure things are about to get dicey, seeing as though he won’t have taken well to it.”
“I’m glad you put him in his place.”
“Why did you try to do it for me outside the Ruminat huts?”
“I thought you needed an assist, that you were being manipulated, used, and abused.”